I'm out!

BlitzKrieg

Yeah...I sort have been sidestepping the next generation for the last year.

There was this wonderful shop where I was living that was stock full of rare old games, cheap old consoles, imports and all that. It made life easy that most of my funds went to games that were already a very years old on the PC, and to previous generation consoles.

But I no longer live there and I spent the other day walking around the shops here in dublin, and it sank in really quickly.


I cant keep up anymore.

On the PC the specs the latest games are demanding are painful. I dont even scrap minimum. Look at what Rainbow Six: Las Vegas is asking for.

On the consoles the next generation is just too expensive for me both the hardware and the games, only the Wii seems in my price range, but I'm worried about taking the plunge without something more then Zelda and the promise of more games.

So does anyone else feel like pulling out of being a video game consumer.

might start improving my dvd collection.

Mr E

Yeah I've been like that for the last 6 months. I started a ton of games, but finished very few of them (I got bored). Only a small handful of games have held my attention until the end. Maybe I'm getting old.

Loving Zelda, though....

uberpixie

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Yeah...I sort have been sidestepping the next generation for the last year.

There was this wonderful shop where I was living that was stock full of rare old games, cheap old consoles, imports and all that. It made life easy that most of my funds went to games that were already a very years old on the PC, and to previous generation consoles.

But I no longer live there and I spent the other day walking around the shops here in dublin, and it sank in really quickly.


I cant keep up anymore.

On the PC the specs the latest games are demanding are painful. I dont even scrap minimum. Look at what Rainbow Six: Las Vegas is asking for.

On the consoles the next generation is just too expensive for me both the hardware and the games, only the Wii seems in my price range, but I'm worried about taking the plunge without something more then Zelda and the promise of more games.

So does anyone else feel like pulling out of being a video game consumer.

might start improving my dvd collection.

His is a witch, BURN HIM!:D

Well a lot of the "Next Gen" games are badly ported/optimised Xbox360 games tbh.
(R6 Las Vegas:any game that runs that badly on high end machines is a joke and should never have been released in such a sloppy state)

Look on the bright side the longer you wait the cheaper stuff will get and there are plenty of good old games to get around to.

The next batch of PC hardware will be out soon and will no doubt drive prices down on the "old" hardware, you can always build a dacent PC on a tight budget if you are smart and don't go for the latest and greatest parts.
(you know yourself)

If you think most of the present games suck, don't buy and wait until you find something worth playing;).

tba

Im the same....

I bought a DS (cheap enough), and most of the games remain unfinished or unfinishable.

I have a new PC planed but keep putting if off till the next big change.

I bought a PS2 recently and find most good games can't hold my attention.

I think its a symptom of changing life styles, my free time is increasingly spent with those who do not play games so my time to play is shortened. I need quick and immersive games to enjoy, Shadow of the Colossus is the best example I can think of, short, sweet and almost cinematic in its experience.

Im looking forward to the new half life episodes because I want to find out what happens and Alan Wake as it looks like it could be a deep (but short) game. I always loved Final Fantasy but could never finish it due to its length and repetitive combat.

In short I am beginning to see a difference between games and things I want to experience. If I want to play tiny little games with high scores and no real depth I will get them on the DS and spend a half hour on the train or bus trying to pass the time.. If I want to wave my arms around like a madman I will play real tennis, with real people, in the real world. If I want to experience a world of depth and imagination that is impossible to in real life then I will get a good "game" and I don't mind paying 50 Euro for a five hour experience if it is excellent.

And for the Record I think the PC is the platform of choice for these experiences.

quad_red

the current generation has reinvigorated me in terms of games.

The Xbox & PS2 never really excited me and I finished, well, very VERY few games in that generation. My heart sort of died with the death of the Dreamcast which I loved. The hardware arms race that is PC gaming finished me off a few years ago.

But I gotta say - I love the 360. I've had some laugh inthe last few months hammering through games like COD2, Gears, Prey, Obilvion and Burnout Revenge.

The 360 is a far cheaper alternative to pc gaming and at 59.99 (cheaper online) the games are reasonable enough ( I remember when mega drive games were 70 pounds!).

The Wii has shaken up the market and a bit and I look forward to getting a play on one for the laugh (although I don't know if I'll get one). The PS3 is another interesting one. But at the crazy price I'll leave it off.

humanji

I'm the same as quad_red, I didn't think much of the xbox or ps2, but the 360 is great and even has my 62 year old Dad playing Call of Duty 3 on it. And the Wii is fantastic (although I could do without the immense pain in my muscles the next morning!).

But if you're not going to splash out on new PC hardware or a next gen console, then go for abandonware. It's free and you can get some great stuff to download. And if you must get a tangible disk or box in your hand, there's a few places to buy old games. There's 2 on Talbot street I think, Just under the Dart bridge. I managed to get a few old games that you can't even get on eBay any more, from them.

Tusky

I rarely finish games anymore, I get bored half way through.

The only games of late that have held my attention are

- Gears of war (almost finished)
- Zelda (on the water temple)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (I will never tire of it)

Im going to force myself to go back and play Dead Rising again also.

User45701

i havent gone for many new games but some are so good you need to upgrade, i mean comeon blitzgrieg at the boards beers you told me how much you looked forward to cnc 3.

Im already started (sadly) cutting down on spending so i can afford the pc upgrade and game buy.
i probbley wont go to town till my mates 21st in feb and boards beers in feb

Also there is supreme commander

super_furry

Got a 360 just before Christmas and I haven't been this impressed with a console since the PSOne was launched. You can pick one up with three or four games for €430 - €450 and while it's expensive, it's definately worth it.

Rhyme

I feel your pain Blitz... you could always improve your DVD collection and pick up cheap games on eBay/2nd hand stores etc until next Christmas. The Wii will be cheaper then and you'll have a better selection of games by then as well (Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Smash Bros, Warioware etc)

K.O.Kiki

humanji wrote:

And if you must get a tangible disk or box in your hand, there's a few places to buy old games. There's 2 on Talbot street I think, Just under the Dart bridge. I managed to get a few old games that you can't even get on eBay any more, from them.

Err, didn't one of them close about a year ago? The small one w/the graffiti on it.
Mind you, cartridge games are a risky proposition these days -- the batteries have a life expectancy of 10yrs, so they'll be dying soon-ish.
Wii VC/Xbox Live Arcade/PS Store & retro collections FTW!

johnny_ultimate

I stayed off the next gen until this Christmas, because I thought Id be disapointed. But I'm hugely impressed by it. GoW and Oblivion are spectacularly good games, and finally made me accept that the next gen is here and it is indeed worth it.

thebman

I've not finished that many games recently and am playing FZero on Gamecube more than anything else at the moment.

The latest games are fun but you can get bored half way through. I don't think its an age thing as my younger brother is the same way. I think its an industry problem because we've seen it all before.

At the moment, my DS and the "non-traditional" games get most play from me. Only time will tell if Wii can do the same. Trauma Centre on DS was the most fun game I've played in years.

justfortherecor

PES series has kept me and my friends in college addicted since PES3 came out in 2003.

2 controllers on the PS2, small dingy room, 2 players caring far too much about 10mins of virtual football,and numerous occassions of leaving lectures halfway through when someone texts : 'fancy a quick game of ProEv?'

Thank you Konami. Always my number 1. I'm scared to think of the amount of gameplay hours I've had from the series.

Ruu_Old

I gave up ages ago not that I was into much gaming. Now playing Red Alert 2 and FM 2007 which aren't that demanding and thats pretty much it.

Jim

I've been a very casual console gamer for the past few years. The only games which held my interest for any amount of time were online PC games which I play with my clan etc...

I bought the Wii with the intention of getting back into consoles a bit, and Zelda gave me the perfect excuse. I got bored of consoles before that because almost all of the "RL" mates don't really play games so I could never have a decent multiplayer session, but now most of them have really gotten into Wii Sports.

Catsmokinpot

aint had a console since the N64.... oh the memories wonderful wonderful memories of zelda and mario kart and goldeneye and perfect dark brings a tear to my eye

didnt miss the playstation or any of the xbox's one bit, ive had tonnes of fun with pc games and hope they dont get bumped over to these so called next gen consoles that just seem like they are just going to burn hole in my pocket

wouldnt mind getting a Wii though! looks like the most revolutionary console out there, ive played red steel and wii sports and they effing rock!!! cant wait to play zelda on it!

Stephen

I've been strictly PC for years with some minor dabbling in xbox and ps2, but they lay mostly unused in my house. I did, however, buy a 360 last week and am very impressed with it. Xbox live is so very slick.

Kintarō Hattori

Aye it's sad. I think my missus has managed to ween me off of games and I'm no longer as interested in them as I was. The specs of some of the PC games are crazy and while my current system is pretty good I don't plan on upgrading it anytime soon.

I don't have an XBox 360 and I don't plan on getting one as truthfully to get the best from it I'd need a flatscreen and also I don't think she'd give me the time to play it.
I don't plan on getting a PS3 as I think Sony have lost the plot. Again to really get the best from it I'd need a flatscreen TV.
I'm unsure whether or not I'll get a Wii but the truth be told I'm not too fussed. I did get some vouchers for GAME but I'm just not bothered.

I'm not interested in getting a DS or a PSP so yep I guess you could say I'm out too. These days I'm more interested in going out and having a good time, expanding my DVD and CD collection.

the_syco

Meh. Apart from playing some online games with my clan, such as Q3, I've given up on gaming. Until I was blown away by a benchmark vid of Comanache4. Being playing it since. Class game. Its about 5 years old, so BlitzKrieg, you may be able to run it. Also being playing some DoW in CarlowIT's compsoc, so its all good.

Plan to get back to some random IL-2 sim after I finish Comanache4.

Kintarō Hattori

the_syco wrote:

Meh. Apart from playing some online games with my clan, such as Q3, I've given up on gaming. Until I was blown away by a benchmark vid of Comanache4. Being playing it since. Class game. Its about 5 years old, so BlitzKrieg, you may be able to run it. Also being playing some DoW in CarlowIT's compsoc, so its all good.

Plan to get back to some random IL-2 sim after I finish Comanache4.

Is it good? I thought it was supposed to be very arcade-ish?

0ubliette

Ive kinda given up on PC gaming lately. Not much on pc that grabs me lately. So much so my pc is currently packed away in my bedroom, and the 360 has taken pride of place hooked up to my monitor. Ive lost all interest in multiplayer gaming, after alot of clan gaming just realised its not worth it, theres too many assholes out there that ruin the experience, so got some good single player games for christmas and been playing them now that my girlfriend has gone home for college. But i find the older you get, unless your'e unemployed, the less time you have for gaming. And to be honest it doesnt really bother me much, id rather spend some time with the missus and go see a movie or something.

Stephen

eo980: you can hook the 360 up to a PC monitor for cheap HD goodness

edit: /reads post above... yeah.

tman

I was all set to give it all up at the beginning of the year, then decided to buy a DS on a whim (I guess the promise of multiplayer Mario Kart was enough to sell me...)
I fell head over heels in love with gaming all over again once that beautiful piece of machinery arrived, and then the Wii came along and the rest is history (as is my credit card balance being at 0....)

I guess the best idea would be to just take a bit of time off gaming like I did, sooner or later a fantastic game will come along and dig its claws into you.

Mr E

Isn't a credit card balance of 0 a good thing?
(I think I know what you mean, though)

tman

I meant that my credit card balance being at 0 is history now... especially after the Wii and Christmas:o

CiDeRmAn

Well, I have to say I'm having a ball in the world of next gen gaming right now, just finished COD3 on the Wii and ploughing on with Zelda, loved Gears of War and looking forward to Wario Ware on Wii and Lost Planet on 360 this coming weekend.
Then there's Trauma Centre and ExciteTruck both on Wii in Feb, not to mention Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy and BioShock later in the year.

That said I have a mountain of stuff to get through on my other consoles, Psychonauts, Brothers In Arms Earned In Blood, I want to get to grips with Daytona on the DC once and for all, Resi 4 has to be finished as does MGS2 and 3, so where will I find the time?

the_syco

eo980 wrote:

Is it good? I thought it was supposed to be very arcade-ish?

Aye. IMO, you need a joystick, tho, as it makes it so much smoother. The first few missions are easy enough, but some are a bit head wrecking.

Vyse

CiDeRmAn wrote:

I want to get to grips with Daytona on the DC once and for all,

You must have no time if you are wiling to go back that far. I think I never really played more that the first track on that one:D

koneko

I don't think I could ever get sick of gaming

BlitzKrieg

koneko wrote:

I don't think I could ever get sick of gaming

I wouldnt say I'm sick of it. Its just its become very demanding as a hobby, and I dont think I can give it the time and money it needs to be fully enjoyed anymore.